Blog 4
Bringing our idea to life:
At this point in time, I would have to say that our app has come a long way. It is still far from being finished, but the edges are starting to round out. Our very first prototype was very basic with hardly any features. Before our prototype, we had a well-thought-out plan with well-thought-out features, but our first prototype was lacking everything except the main functionality. The main functionality was not even fully there. Our paper mock-up was simple and just showed what it would look like to interact with the app. The user would open a map and pick a driveway to choose from and a time. That is basically it. It is one-sided because this feature only allows for people searching for parking spots and not for the users who wish to loan out their driveways. Based on all of the features that we had thought of, we had settled on this basic user feature because we felt like it was the most important feature. We imagined what it would be like for someone using the app for the first time. I think the first prototype turned out the way it did because the whole experience was so new and foreign to my teammates and me. I think that when a user interacts with an app that has a good interface, you kind of take it for granted and don't pay attention to the details of the interface. Ever since our first prototype, I have found myself paying attention and analyzing the apps that I use day to day to get ideas and inspiration. Our first prototype was a paper prototype. While making the paper prototype, I saw that it had some good advantages. One being that drawing it out by hand was slower and more methodical. This allowed us to really think about what we were doing and the direction that we wanted to go while drawing out the prototype. The other advantage is that it was quick and ready to present to people to begin testing.
Testing and learning:
For the testing of our prototype, there were a few people whom I had used for our paper prototype. The reactions were mixed, and so was the feedback. I had asked a couple of acquaintances from school to participate at different times. Then I asked a friend's worker to get their opinion. When my acquaintances from school used the paper prototype, they both had a similar user experience. I observed as they used their fingers to pretend to click on the buttons that I had drawn and then move on to the next pictures. At this point, it was brought up that one simple adjustment that could be made is that there should be a back button. That way, if they click on something that was a mistake or if they changed their minds, they would be able to go back to the previous page. It was suggested by my friend's worker that on the map screen, there should be a dollar amount next to the dots that represent available driveways. Also, on the same screen as the map screen, there should be a listing of available times when the driveways are available. Like in a split-screen type format. While going through this process, since it was drawn on paper and the people who had tried it had to pretend, it was fun like a game. But the more time the user spent imagining walking through the app, the more serious they got. This was a commonality for each person. It took a bit to get into it, and it was like I could see the switch flip when they really got into it. It was very interesting to observe. And, since they had to use their imagination, some of the purposes of the screens were interpreted differently by different users. During those points, clarifying questions were asked.
Iteration & Improvement:
Our prototype has improved in the addition of features that we had originally thought of. Now we are beginning to implement them as well. Also, the feedback that we have taken into consideration will also go a long way in improving the prototype that we currently have. Both in the design, like making things clearer, and the functionality, like the split screen with the different options. So, since the first prototype, our prototype has moved to a digital format with better drawn-out features and graphics. There are also many more slides of the different screens our app intends to implement in the future.
Personal Reflection:
The most challenging aspect of rapid prototyping for me would be the brainstorming aspect. Having to think of what features to implement and then show how they would look was difficult. But I could see how practice in doing this could make this easier. Even though it did not come out great, I still liked how our paper prototype came out. It was a start to something that was coming out of our ideas, and it was usable. My advice for someone doing rapid prototyping would be to get all of your ideas down, even if you don't think they are good, because someone else in your group could expand on that idea and turn it into a good one.
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